<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Where is your boy tonight, I hope he is a gentleman by goodbyelover</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22931290">Where is your boy tonight, I hope he is a gentleman</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodbyelover/pseuds/goodbyelover'>goodbyelover</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Grand Theft Autumn [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>GOT7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Kissing, M/M, Pining, Teenage Drama, The Author Regrets Nothing, Underage Drinking, Youngjae is a snarky bastard here, background characters drinking only, jaebum/shownu dating but not the main pairing, mild infidelity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 07:08:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,669</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22931290</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodbyelover/pseuds/goodbyelover</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The ease with which he finds Jaebum feels cataclysmic - there was no deviation from Youngjae’s path, hadn’t been since he started coming to these parties. Jaebum was always going to be in the left corner, dancing his heart out, and Youngjae was always going to find his way here.</p>
<p>Or: Youngjae maybe loves Jaebum as much as he hates Jaebum's boyfriend.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi Youngjae/Im Jaebum | JB</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Grand Theft Autumn [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1648117</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Where is your boy tonight, I hope he is a gentleman</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I feel compelled to note that this is written from the perspective of a 16-17 year old and Youngjae is perhaps a bit dramatic and he'll probably grow out of being terrible. I, the author, think Shownu is the best boy in the world.</p>
<p>Title and inspiration come from Fall Out Boy's Grand Theft Autumn.</p>
<p>Thanks to @maricolous for always being my beta!</p>
<p>Thanks to YOU for reading :D/</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>School is officially out and that means the abandoned warehouse is at full blast by the time Youngjae traipses across the threshold. There are few things as shameless as the warehouse parties; Youngjae hasn’t been here for more than a minute, and already one of his classmates has shoved a red cup into his hands, offering to pour him a drink of something </span>
  <em>
    <span>quite</span>
  </em>
  <span> pink. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He waves her off, smiles, and keeps the cup. He’s not really here to party, doesn’t plan on staying long. Still, the red cup acts as a shield as he ducks and weaves through the writhing masses of teenagers, letting the booming bass dictate his heartbeat. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’s a man on a mission, maybe.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Youngjae!” Jaebum yells, throwing his arm over Youngjae’s shoulders. “Didn’t think you were coming.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The ease with which he finds Jaebum feels cataclysmic - there was no deviation from Youngjae’s path, hadn’t been since he started coming to these parties. Jaebum was always going to be in the left corner, dancing his heart out, and Youngjae was always going to find his way here.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Im Jaebum. Stupidly beautiful Jaebum, with his perfect nose and sharp eyes and laugh that to this day made butterflies race through Youngjae’s stomach. Even after all this time, Youngjae feels his heart pick up at the weight of Jaebum’s arm, the heat of his body.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Stupidly gorgeous, stupidly squandered Jaebum. Jaebum who came here to dance and not to drink, Jaebum who had a spark in his eye but wasted his time.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Youngjae smiles so hard his eyes crinkle up, giving Jaebum a little shrug of his shoulders. “I figured I’d make time, with graduation and all.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then, with the utmost subtlety, he follows with a question. “Where’s Hyunwoo?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jaebum’s smile lights up in a way that makes Youngjae’s butterflies turn to wasps. “He was just grabbing a drink, I think. Come on! Dance!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Youngjae twists to face Jaebum to dance along. He’ll never have Jaebum’s fluid grace, but that’s fine, he’s allowed to just have fun, especially tonight.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He gets about half a song, a whole glorious ninety seconds, before Hyunwoo enters the scene to throw an arm around Jaebum’s shoulders, effectively pulling him away from Youngjae to kiss his cheek. “Miss me? Hey Youngjae! You made it!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>All Youngjae could see as he watched the two of them was </span>
  <em>
    <span>decay</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He smiles, gives Hyunwoo a bright ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>hey hyung!</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ but the atmosphere is decomposing as he watches Hyunwoo hook an arm around Jaebum just as the next song starts.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It’s not that he hates Hyunwoo.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It’s just that Hyunwoo is so</span>
  <em>
    <span> goddamned boring</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There always comes a time when one has to set aside pleasantries and deal with facts, and the fact is that Hyunwoo is basically a rock. A handsome, pleasant rock, but a rock nonetheless. Hyunwoo is not moved by passions or ambitions or inspirations - no, those would flow over him, probably without him noticing, at the very least without him being affected by them. He’s the embodiment of mediocre contentment, of unsatisfying satisfaction.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Worst of all though, is the fact that he absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>bogs </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jaebum down. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It kills Youngjae to watch it, to watch the Hyunwoo’s roots of normalcy tangle with Jaebum’s inner storm. Jaebum is so full of life, like the fire that burns in the heart of a star. Jaebum is meant for bigger and better, is meant for </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but Youngjae has been forced to watch as time passes and Jaebum </span>
  <em>
    <span>settles.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hyunwoo is placid in his extracurriculars, and Jaebum chose all the same ones as him. Hyunwoo enjoys working at the local diner, and now Jaebum is beside him bussing tables. Hyunwoo hadn’t thought of applying to anywhere besides the local community college, and he and Jaebum are starting classes this fall.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Like all fetid things, a mildewed personality can spread its rot so easily.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe it’s finally time for Youngjae to stop watching.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He glances to where Hyoyeon is DJ-ing, her setup jury-rigged from spare parts in a way that would be impressive if it didn’t speak to how utterly pedestrian this town is as a whole. He knows she’s gearing up for a slow song - he’s been to so many of these parties, there’s nothing else to do around here. He knows she thinks he’s darling and down for just about anything. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hyunwoo and Jaebum are atrophying in a world of their own and don’t notice as Youngjae walks away, heads up to Hyoyeon’s makeshift stage just as the latest remix winds down. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I have the mic?” Youngjae asks as he hops up. “Got an announcement I wanted to make.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She laughs, trades him the mic for her beer, and steps aside. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yo!” Youngjae shouts, and an entire sea of wasted teenagers scream back at him. Fascinating how much power he suddenly holds over this crowd, how much some alcohol and a sound system can transform the social landscape.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We survived another fucking year of school, yeah?” The roar in response is deafening. Youngjae doesn’t specifically look, but he’s pleased when he sees that Jaebum is watching, he and Hyunwoo still entwined as all look to Youngjae. “Honestly, I know I’m supposed to say something like ‘it was an honor to go through the year with you’, but we all know it </span>
  <em>
    <span>sucked.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Another wave of shrieks. “And I could say that I’m excited to go through one more year with some of you assholes, but… I’m not.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Youngjae isn’t looking at Jaebum as he says this, just has his eyes in that general direction. It’s just a coincidence he can see the way Jaebum’s eyebrows shoot up, his mouth opening in confusion. It makes him more than a little smug because Jaebum looks genuinely surprised.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He wonders about the last time Jaebum felt surprise.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m outta here – we all had some fun here, and thanks but no thanks, you won’t be seeing me around anymore. Sayonara,</span>
  <em>
    <span> motherfuckers</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The crowd goes wild, if only because there’s nothing else to go wild over, and Youngjae drops the mic in Hyoyeon’s hands as he blows them all a kiss before jumping off the stage.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of returning to Hyunwoo and Jaebum, Youngjae just heads out of the warehouse, keys jangling on his fingers as he’s jostled, thumped on the back, and maybe kissed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once he’s out of the warehouse, the noise levels drop considerably, and he’s left to his own thoughts, except– </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Youngjae!” Jaebum’s chasing after him, nearly skids into him as he comes to a stop. “What was </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Are you – are you actually leaving?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Youngjae turns and smiles, the perfect mixture of coy and sheepish as he steps back towards Jaebum. “Yeah. I got accepted into an accelerated arts program and one of my friends from summer camp is letting me stay with them.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It hadn’t been easy. Youngjae had fought with his parents for </span>
  <em>
    <span>weeks</span>
  </em>
  <span> before they’d come to the realization that their darling baby wasn’t a sweet summer child anymore, that he wanted this and was going to do whatever it took to get it. Finally, after so many sleepless nights, his parents had agreed to talk to Matthew’s parents and had eventually relented. It’s a secret Youngjae has been keeping for nearly two months.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s… wow, Youngjae, that’s really great,” Jaebum says, lips slipping into that stupid, stupid gorgeous smile of his, even though he still looks confused, at a loss. “Are you really… leaving? Tomorrow?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Youngjae nods, takes another step. Matthew and his parents would be picking him up at midday and then he’d be gone and Youngjae is already hoping he never comes back ever again. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jaebum fluffs a hand through his hair. “Were you really going to leave without saying anything?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That’s the million dollar question and Youngjae is absolutely not going to answer it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Instead, he steps right into Jaebum’s space, and they’ve been close before, but it’s never really been like this, a shared breath between them as Youngjae cocks his head to the side, tilts it to look at Jaebum.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“One for the road?” he asks instead, and closes the space between them. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It’s a soft kiss, gentle and sweet, like a little dream that will fade away when they wake up in the morning. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There’s a tautness in the air, like something ready to snap if pushed too far, and Youngjae’s holding his breath as he pulls back, wanting to savor the moment for as long as he can.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jaebum’s hand catches Youngjae’s waist and something snaps. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The space between them vanishes, Youngjae’s hands tangling in Jaebum’s hair as they kiss, and this time it is not a soft, vague thing. Something white-hot surges through him as he licks his way into Jaebum’s mouth, feels Jaebum pull him closer by the hips.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Youngjae could die inside this kiss.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It does not feel real when they finally break apart, both involuntarily taking a step back from each other, Youngjae’s cheeks flushed and Jaebum’s lips reddened. It feels like the world has begun spinning faster, everything blurred around the edges as Youngjae fights to catch his breath.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They stare at each other in silence. Youngjae waits for Jaebum to tell him it was a mistake.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Instead, Jaebum just slowly reaches up to swipe his thumb across his lower lip. He looks dazed – it’s not a bad look. “I… I should get back… in there.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Back to Hyunwoo. Back to that disintegrating orbit.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Youngjae says, grinning, as if this is </span>
  <em>
    <span>casual</span>
  </em>
  <span>, because there’s fun in pretending it is. In pretending that he hasn’t ached to kiss Jaebum since he was thirteen. As if he wasn’t desperately in love with Jaebum and all his storms and handsomeness. As if he was the type of person to kiss all the boys for fun. “Bye, hyung.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He wheels around and shoots Jaebum a wave over his shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Youngjae! Keep in touch!” Jaebum calls, but Youngjae doesn’t turn back around as he walks to his car.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’s done with watching now.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>